Mourning The Passing Of President Gerald Rudolph Ford

MOURNING THE PASSING OF PRESIDENT GERALD RUDOLPH FORD -- (House of Representatives - January 09, 2007)

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very distinguished friend for yielding and thank him for his leadership in this Congress, in the great city that he represents and his State of Illinois. He does a wonderful job.

I am pleased to join the sponsor of this resolution, my good friend, VERN EHLERS. VERN EHLERS represents the district, as some of you have already been told, I am sure, I just got to the floor, but I am sure you have been told he represents the district that Gerald Ford represented for a quarter of a century.

Jerry Ford was my friend. President Ford was someone who I got to know after he was President of the United States. As Mr. Davis observed, I was not in the Congress and did not serve with President Ford. He was, however, a distinguished leader of this body.

I would like to say just a few words, Mr. Speaker, about the contributions of a great American leader, a man who personified integrity, openness, civility and a sense of responsibility, and a man who helped restore public confidence in our institutions of government during a time of national crisis and grave doubt about our government, and that doubt existed here in this country and abroad.

President Jerry Ford, our Nation's 38th President, took office during a period of American history when deep skepticism was the norm and uncertainty ruled the day. The challenges he faced were not the product of his actions, but he effectively confronted them and helped our proud Nation rise above its ``long national nightmare,' as he referred to it, and to begin dreaming again about the promise that has been ours since our founding.

President Ford, of course, never asked to be our Commander in Chief. The responsibilities and burdens of that office were thrust upon him when he chose to answer our Nation's highest calling. That calling came because of the respect that was accorded to him in this House, in the United States Senate and in our country.

He never put partisanship or ambition ahead of the needs of the American people, seeking instead to heal our national wounds. Where he saw division, he built bridges, and where he saw doubt, he nurtured trust.

I am proud to be able tonight to serve in the same Chamber where Gerald R. Ford served our Nation for such a long time. I have now served one year longer than Gerald Ford served in this House. He served for 25 years. I am in my 26th year. But no one brought more luster to their service, no one brought more integrity to this House, no one was a better example of what all of us ought to be as Members of this great institution, the People's House, than was Gerald R. Ford of Michigan.

He offered his talents for seeking compromise and building consensus. I would hope all of us would take a lesson from Gerald Ford as we move ahead over the next 2 years. Too often, the cycle that we enter is a cycle of confrontation rather than consensus creation. We need consensus. America wants consensus. America wants progress. America wants a Congress focused on its need, not a Congress focused on how we can make the other guy look bad.

Gerald Ford can be an example and should be an example for all of us to emulate. I am honored to have this opportunity to carry on President Ford's steadfast commitment to God, to country, to, obviously, his family, his beloved wife Betty and to the People's House.

It goes without saying that the thoughts and prayers of an indebted Nation are with the Ford family in their time of sorrow. I want to congratulate the Ford family, who conducted themselves with such great dignity and returned the caring of literally tens of thousands of people who came through our Rotunda to honor President Ford and his service and to thank him for that which he has done for our country. Jack and Susan in particular stood for hours greeting people and thanking them for being there, and the other children as well.

On December 26, 2006, we lost a great American, a great leader and a great friend. I was a member of the Appropriations Committee and had the honor of chairing the Treasury-Postal Committee. The Treasury-Postal Committee had under its aegis the retirement funds for our former Presidents, and in that capacity, I had an opportunity to talk to him from time to time, not about his own personal interests, which we did talk about, but that is not why we talked.

He talked about the institution. He talked about what we were doing to make this House run better. I can remember we were at a forum at Georgetown together over two decades ago at which we both spoke, and he spoke of the need for having more contested elections, as opposed to districts that were automatic for one party or the other. He said that would be good for democracy, good for discussion of issues and good for the creation of consensus.

Gerald Ford's indomitable spirit will live in these halls of power and service for generations to come, halls that will forever bear the mark of his influence and dedication to the people of the United States of America.

I want to extend my deepest sympathy to President Ford's beloved wife, Betty, his children and his family and loved ones, and in closing thank him; thank him for being an example to which all of us could repair for service in this body; thank him for being an example for the American people to look to for what a Member of Congress can and ought to be, a man of principle, a man of generosity, a man who cared about his country and its people.

Gerald Ford, we thank you for your service, and we miss you.

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